


War

by jordieey



Series: Trust Takes Time [3]
Category: Avengers: Infinity War - Fandom, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: But they help each other, Distrust, F/M, Hurt/Comfort, Natasha Romanov Has Issues, Tony Stark Has Issues
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-19
Updated: 2018-06-06
Packaged: 2019-04-24 21:02:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 7,170
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14363625
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jordieey/pseuds/jordieey
Summary: Over three years after Captain America: Civil War, Tony and Natasha are happy together. Until, that is, the earth is invaded and the Avengers must work together again.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Tempest_Raining](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tempest_Raining/gifts).



Tony woke up to discover Natasha laying on top of him. Not at his side; not curled around him from behind, but literally on him. Her head lay just beneath his chin, her breasts pressed to his sternum, and her legs tangled in his. Tony smiled, bringing up an arm to wrap around her waist. 

“Hey,” he murmured into her hair, knowing she was likely awake already. She always seemed to wake before him--no matter how late they went to sleep. 

Natasha shifted, moving so that her chin rested on his chest. A slight smirk graced her face. “Hello.”

“When did you get back?” Tony asked sleepily, his eyes half lidded. Natasha had been gone for the past two weeks, working on a “top secret mission”--except she had told him exactly where she was going, and what she was doing. 

They didn’t lie to each other. Not anymore. 

Natasha looked thoroughly amused. “You don’t remember? You woke up when I came in.”

“Tired,” Tony muttered sleepily. “Been working hard. Security ‘n shit.” 

A slight laugh escaped passed Natasha’s lips. “I saw. You did a good job with the Blood Brothers.”

“‘Course I did,” Tony preened halfheartedly. “‘M Tony Stark.” 

Natasha continued to stare at him expectantly, a slight smile gracing her lips. Tony let out a reluctant sight.

“The others did good, too,” he grumbled petulantly.

Natasha’s smile deepened, and she pressed a kiss to cheek before moving to get out of the bed. Tony, however, pulled her back, his arms locked around her waist. She went back willingly. 

“I don’t even get a proper hello?” Tony whined. In response, Natasha rolled her eyes at him.

“Of course you do,” she said, pressing a hand to his cheek. “I just wanted to make you work for it.”

***  
The kitchen was occupied when Tony and Natasha walked in. Which was exactly why Natasha practically had to drag him there in the first place. Honestly, was it too much to ask for some alone time? Apparently it was, if Natasha’s slight smirk was anything to go by. 

Peter and Gwen sat together at the kitchen table, both in their respective Spider costumes, masks off. Peter was blushing rather furiously, while his girlfriend looked at him with a teasing glint in her eyes. Loki sat on the couch, idly flipping through a book and looking as though he was trying rather hard to ignore the teenagers. The slight smile on his face, however, showed he wasn’t nearly as annoyed as he was trying to act. 

“Mr. Stark!” Peter exclaimed, perking up when he saw Tony enter the kitchen. Tony gave him a tired wave, dragging Natasha over to the refrigerator. Or, rather, he tried to. Natasha, much to Tony’s chagrin, pulled out of his grasp and walked over to the table. She bent down, pressing a brief, loving kiss to Peter’s hair, before resting a hand on Gwen’s shoulder.

Tony smiled. He didn’t think he would ever truly get used to seeing Natasha express so openly to others, but he couldn’t deny he liked seeing it. Ever since the “Civil War” one Peter Parker become a rather important fixture in Tony’s life--in fact, Tony had written him into his will over two years ago, along with Natasha and everyone else he cared about.

Watching Natasha interact with Peter, Tony couldn’t help but wonder if, someday…

“Hello, Peter,” Natasha greeted gently, her hand still on Gwen’s shoulder. “How are you?”

Peter, still looking starstruck after all this time, stuttered out a nervous, “I’m great. How are you, Ms. Romanov?”

“I’m well,” Natasha told him. She squeezed Gwen’s shoulder once, before heading over to the refrigerator. As she started gather ingredients for their coffee smoothie, Tony cocked an eyebrow at Peter. 

“Aunt May know you’re here?” 

“Yes, Mr. Stark,” Peter replied nervously. 

Tony raised a sceptical eyebrow. He looked at Gwen, who simply shrugged and smiled. With a sigh and a shake of his head, Tony turned to follow Natasha. He was met with the sight of Natasha receiving a kiss on the hand from Loki.

“How do you fare, Lady Natasha?” he asked, a teasing glint in his green eyes. Natasha seemed to be liking the attention a bit too much. Tony could already see the pranks coming his way. God help him. 

“Splendid, Loki. And you?”

As Loki replied in kind, Tony eyed them warily. Those two had a unique kind of friendship that, even to this day, Tony didn’t understand. They enjoyed mentally challenging each other with various games, and planning pranks with each other. The one time Tony had discovered his Iron Man covered in glitter, he had not been a happy man. 

And he couldn’t deny he was happy they had each other. Loki and Natasha got along well, and Tony suspected Natasha helped the god move past some of his various issues. Tony got along with Loki, too--he liked to hang out in the workshop sometimes--but he and Natasha certainly had something special going on. 

“Yo, Reindeer Games,” Tony said, stepping in between them. “Stop trying to steal my wife.”

“I would never, Anthony,” Loki assured him, a teasing glint in his eyes. Tony looked at him suspiciously, wrapping an arm around Natasha’s waist. She laughed, leaning her head against his shoulder.

They went about making a smoothie, after Tony had playfully edge away from the Trickster God. As Natasha poured some milk into the blender, Tony wrapped his arms around her from behind.

“You up for a session? Say, tomorrow?” 

He felt more than he saw Natasha nod. “I think that would be wise,” Natasha said, sobering slightly. She started the blender, waiting until the ingredients were properly mixed before talking again.

“Have you been having nightmares?”

Tony nodded, as much as he could with his chin on her shoulder. “A few.”

Natasha sighed. “Me too.”

They fell silent for a moment. Natasha poured them both a healthy serving of their smoothie, while simultaneously telling Loki “he could make his own damn smoothie if he wanted any.” Loki grumbled a bit, sliding down on the couch and hiding his smirk in his book.

Honestly, Tony was going to convince him to read on a tablet one day. 

As Tony and Natasha sat across from each other at the kitchen table--Natasha’s feet in his lap--Tony instructed Friday to construct a list of what he needed to do today.

“Only what’s most important,” he ordered, grinning at Natasha, the earlier mood gone. “Everything else can wait till tomorrow.” 

Friday piped up with her confirmation, and Tony started to think of what he and Natasha could do today. Being a major part of SHIELD was pretty much a full-time job these days, but Tony was a genius. If he wanted quality time with Natasha, he would damn well find a way to make it happen. 

“I’m taking you to the spa,” Tony decided. “You deserve it.”

Natasha, clearly liking this idea, perked up. She touched her hair. “What colour should I make my hair this time?” she mused. 

Despite Tony’s best efforts, Natasha was still, technically speaking, a fugitive in the eyes of the government. That was why their marriage--which Loki had officiated--had been a discreet affair, with only Rhodey, Pepper, Happy and Peter as witnesses. 

It had been perfect, as far as Tony was concerned. He wouldn’t have had it any other way. 

“How about purple again?” Tony suggested. “It looks good on you.”

Natasha gave him a teasing look. “Sexy, you mean?”

“That too,” Tony admitted, blinking innocently at her. Natasha rolled her eyes fondly.

“Perhaps I could do purple. Or--”

And that was when Tony’s phone went off. 

“Goddammit,” Tony growled, snatching it from where he had tossed it on the table. “What?” he snapped

As the voice registered in his mind, Tony’s anger turned to shock. He listened numbly, only half processing what was being said. Once or twice, he nodded along. It didn’t even occur to him that the speaker couldn’t see him.

He ended the call with, “Right. We’ll be there in ten,” and dropped his hand carelessly to the table top.

“Anthony, are you well?” called Loki. 

Natasha removed her feet from Tony’s lap, leaning forward to rest her hand on Tony’s cheek.

“Tony?” she inquired, her eyes piercing into his. “What is it?”

He heard Gwen and Peter say something, but couldn’t be bothered to pay attention.  
“Well,” Tony managed to force past his numb lips. “Coulson’s apparently not dead.” Natasha jerked back as if she had been shot, her eyes widening.

Feeling sick, Tony added, “And the earth’s gonna be invaded.”


	2. Plans and Awkward Reunions

Natasha hated the look Tony gave her after he hung up. The brief, searching gaze--the “Did you know?” shining clearly in his eyes. It was gone just as soon as it had appeared, but Natasha wouldn’t forget it.

Her stomach clenched. She knew Tony trusted her--they had worked long and hard to get to this point--but finding out of yet another lie had transported Tony back three and a half years. It wasn't her he didn’t trust--it was the memory of her previous deceptions. 

Even still, they would be needing a session with Kenneth. Natasha liked Kenneth--it would be nice to see him again, at least. 

Tony pushed his chair back, his face a mask of anxiety. Loki appeared at his side, resting a steadying on his elbow.

“Anthony, may I be of assistance?” he asked, brows furrowed.

Natasha watched Tony’s hands, which were trembling slightly. She wanted nothing more than encase them in her own; to wrap herself around Tony and protect him from all outside forces.

“No, Loki,” Tony replied, running an anxious hand through his hair. “I think it would be best if the three of you stayed here for now.” 

Gwen and Peter looked as though they were about to protest, but one stern look from Natasha rendered them silent. Loki nodded, clearly displeased. He gazed at Tony for another moment, before stepping back. 

“We’re being called in,” Tony said, turning to Natasha. When he offered her his hand, she could have sighed in relief. His hard-earned trust in her hadn’t been broken. “You good to go?”

“Of course,” Natasha said stiffy, the Black Widow coming forth briefly. She accepted Tony’s hand, allowing him to lead her toward the lab. “We’re taking the suits, I presume.”

It wasn’t a question, but Tony answered anyway. “Yeah. Fastest.” 

In mere moments, they appeared in the lab. Tony immediately went over to one of the various cupboards, gently brushing aside his bots as he did so. Opening it, he pulled out a bracelet, tossing it over his shoulder at Natash, who deftly caught it. Clipping it to her wrist, Natasha pressed the summoning button, and soon the Iron Widow was flying toward her in pieces. 

A front flip through the air allowed her to land with her feet in the boots. Hovering a bit unsteadily in the air, Natasha stretched her arms out, and soon they, too, were covered in black armor.  
In under a minute, Natasha found herself transformed into the Iron Widow. Tony had based this particular armor on what she had been wearing during Ultron. Two glowing blue lights ran up her sides, while the bottom of the boots, similarly, glowed blue. There was a red hourglass symbol at her waist, showing her past of the Black Widow.

Natasha hadn’t actually worn this armor much, preferring instead to wear the white armor Tony had also made for her. After all, Natasha was still a fugitive by law, and advertising that the Black Widow was still working with Iron Man was a less than smart decision. 

Right now, Natasha figured it was alright. It was simply a short trip to S.H.I.E.L.D headquarters--and if the world really was about to be invaded, Natasha would be outed either way. 

Besides, as much as Natasha liked being the Ghost, she would always, at heart, remain the Black Widow.

S.H.I.E.L.D had continued to keep their main headquarters in the sky for the past three and a half years. This meant that Tony and Natasha found themselves fly up above the clouds and to the south, successfully keeping Natasha out of public eye. 

Natasha would forever stand by her declaration that the armor wasn’t her style, but she couldn’t deny the thrill she got from flying high in the sky.

When they landed on headquarters, the duo was greeted by none other than Agent Phil Coulson. Inside her armor, Natasha went stiff. She couldn’t decide if she wanted to punch Coulson or...something else. 

The armor released her, and Natasha immediately strode over to her husband, resting a steadying hand on his elbow. 

“You okay?” she asked quietly, eyes flickering to where Coulson stood, hands behind his back. To just about anyone, he would have appeared to utterly calm. But Natasha wasn’t called a spy as a lark. She could see the slight nervous shift of Coulson’s feet, the way he stood just a bit too stiffly.

He was worried about how they would react. Good. 

“Not sure,” Tony said, not even looking at her. His eyes locked on Coulson. “I’ll get back to you on that one.”

Natasha squeezed his elbow reassuringly, and they approached their former boss together. 

“Agent Romanoff,” Coulson greeted, voice professional.  
“Agent Coulson,” Natasha replied coolly. The hand not currently holding Tony’s elbow twitched a bit. She desperately wanted him. And Fury.

But now was not the time.

“Agent.” Tony walked briskly past Coulson, Natasha following closely behind. “I believe we’re here on business; not pleasure.”

***  
“Tell me his name again,” Tony sighed, slumping back in his chair and rubbing his eyes. Natasha didn’t look at him, instead keeping her unwavering stare focused on Fury.

“Thanos,” Fury repeated impatiently. His uncovered eye glared at Tony as if trying to shoot a laser at him. 

“That’s a stupid name.”

The corners of Natasha’s lips twitched up, before she forcefully schooled herself.

“And he’s coming for these...infinity stones?” Natasha inquired, cocking an eyebrow. 

“Yes,” Coulson confirmed, stepping forward. Natasha reluctantly turned turned to face him, gritting her teeth as she resisted the urge to pummel the man. “Our sources say we have perhaps a week before he gets here. But we can’t rely on that.” 

“Of course not.” Natasha allowed her harsh glare to land on him, putting the entire force of the Black Widow behind it. “One can never completely rely on their /sources/.”

Much to Natasha’s vindictive delight, Coulson winced a bit. 

“Okay,” Tony said loudly, kicking back from the table and standing up. He walked to the far end of the room, gesturing erratically to a map. “The way I see it, we only have one advantage: he’s coming to us. So we get as many people as we can underground. I know of some underground bunkers we can safely put people in.” Turning to face Fury, Tony added, “I’m assuming you safe places, too.”

In response, Fury simply glared, while Coulson said, “Of course.”

“Good,” Tony said--very deliberately not looking at Coulson, Natasha noted. “So we get everyone we can to safety.” Tony turned, casting a wry look at Natasha. She raised her eyebrow at him. “I’m gonna go out on a limb here and assume these guys are probably coming to New York--’cause, fuck it, they always do. So, we evacuate it. Definitely.”

Tony went on for perhaps another fifteen minutes. Natasha joined in at one point, offering what insight she could--which was quite a bit, thank you. She hadn’t been brought onto the Avengers for no reason.

By the time those fifteen minutes were up, Tony had come up with a competent strategy--with, of course, the help of his wife.

But there was still one thing that needed to be covered. 

“Stark,” Fury said. “You know we’ll need allies.”

Natasha didn’t miss the way Tony immediately went rigid upon hearing that. She placed a hand between his shoulder blades. They both knew what was coming.

“Right,” Tony agreed. He turned to her. “Natasha, I’m assuming you know some people who can help.”

She nodded seriously. “It may take some persuading, but I know a few people.” Her mind went to the Black Widow copycat from some years ago. Yes, she would take some convincing.

“Loki can probably contact Thor--and he could bring the Warriors Three. And there’s also Riri, if she’s up for it.”

As Tony continued to ramble on--almost frantically--Natasha felt him become more and more tense. He might know what was coming, but he didn’t want to acknowledge it. She didn’t blame him.

“Tony,” Coulson eventually interrupted, his face grim. Both husband and wife turned to him. “We’ll need more help than that.”

Natasha saw Tony’s Adam’s apple bob as he swallowed. “Right.”

Stepping closer, Natasha wrapped her arms around his waist. Her teeth started to grind together.

“It’s time to bring the original Avengers back.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I half thought about adding in some DC characters just for the heck of it--I'd still like to see a crossover movie...
> 
> Again, if there are characters you want to see, let me know. Although I don't plan on doing the Tony/Wanda/Natasha idea someone suggested. I could try and make them friends, though. 
> 
> Let me know what you think!


	3. Books and Therapy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This shouldn't be any more than two more parts, I think. We'll probably being seeing some things from Loki's POV in the next part.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not my best work. Sorry.

Flashback

“I wasn’t even sure I wanted to come here,” Tony said skeptically, arms crossed as he eyed the man across from him. “But someone”--he turned to glare at Natasha, who was sitting next to him--”thought it might be a good idea.” 

The man--Kenneth, was it?--smiled and fiddled with his, admittedly, cool pen. The top glowed blue with some sort of light that made it vaguely resemble a lava lamp. Tony wanted one. 

“Forgive me for saying this,” Kenneth replied kindly, “but I have to say I agree with her.”

“Yeah, well, the last person I tried to talk to fell asleep before I had even gotten started, so forgive me if I’m a bit wary.” 

Natasha, who had been mostly silent up until this point, shifted so that Tony could see her out the corner of his eye. 

“That won’t happen here, Tony,” Natasha assured him. “Kenneth is here to listen to you. And I--” she seemed to hesitate before adding, “I will always listen to you.”

This time, Tony glared at her with enough force to melt an iceberg. “Right, because you did that /so/ well in the past.” 

Natasha leaned back, looking stung by the comment. A moment later, however, she resumed her strangely kind gaze, and looked at him calmly.

“You’re right, Tony. I haven’t been a good friend to you. None of us have really.” Natasha leaned toward him slight, meeting his eyes with an earnest gaze that never ceased to surprise him. “But I’m here now, and I’m will to try and make things right between us. If you’ll let me.” 

Tony met her eyes, and cursed the way his breath caught. Dammit, even now he couldn’t help but think she was beautiful. 

He turned to face Kenneth, deciding not to say anything to that. He swallowed nervously.

“Uh, this didn't exactly go well last time I tried it,” he explained uneasily. Tony saw Natasha’s edge toward him with slow, careful movements. He tensed briefly, before forcefully relaxing. The hand landed gently on his knee.

“I promise it will be different this time,” Kenneth assured him. 

“I’ll listen to you, Tony,” Natasha added quietly. “From now on, I will always listen to you.”  
***  
Present

“And now they’re coming back, and I can’t. Fucking. Do this,” Tony ground out, hunched over with his head in his hands. He felt Natasha rub his back soothingly. 

“Tony, what you’re feeling right now is completely natural,” Kenneth assured him. Natasha’s hand drifted down to the small of Tony’s back, pressing gently as she silently urged him to sit up. He did so with reluctance.

“Is there anything you’d like to say to the Avengers?” Kenneth asked. 

“Plenty,” Tony muttered. He ran a hand down his face, and then snatched Natasha’s hand, pressing her knuckles to his cheek. 

“And you, Natasha?”

“I’ve thought of plenty I’d like to say to each and every one of them. But I do believe I covered most of it through your assignment.”

During their fourth meeting with Kenneth--after Tony had spent a half hour ranting about the goddamn letter--he had suggested they both write down everything they wanted to say to the rogue Avengers in a journal. Tony had thought that idea was stupid at first, and refused to do it for several days. Natasha, however, had taken the suggestion easily, and could be found in Tony’s general vicinity, silently writing away. 

She rarely left him alone during her first month back. 

When Tony had finally stopped being a stubborn ass--yes, even he could admit that--he had asked Friday to record his “journaling,” and then proceeded to rant to his heart’s content. It was actually pretty effective. 

“That may be so,” Kenneth acknowledged, “but perhaps you could write about something else. How you’re feeling, what you’d like to do, for example.”

Oh, Tony could think of /plenty/ of things he wanted to do to one Steve Rogers.

“Honestly, Kenneth, I’m not sure that’ll help,” Tony said apologetically. “They’re coming back tomorrow. At this point, nothing is gonna prepare me for the oncoming shitstorm.” 

“Just remember you won’t be facing them alone, Tony,” Kenneth told him. He inclined his head to the left. “Natasha will be by your side. As will Rhodey, Peter, Gwen, Loki, Riri, and the rest of the Avengers.”

Hearing the number of people in his corner /did/ help Tony somewhat. So did Natasha’s hand on his cheek.

“I won’t let anyone hurt you, Tony,” Natasha said. 

“I know,” Tony sighed, turning to face her. Every line of her face displayed determination.

“I don’t know if I can do this,” Tony admitted again. “But I guess we’ll have to.”

****

“You know what I wanna do?” Tony asked later, standing outside on the helicarrier. He embraced Natasha from behind, burying his face in her neck. 

“What is that, Tony?”

“I wanna lock you, Peter, Gwen, Riri and Rhodey in some safe place underground and refuse to let you out until this all blows over.”

“But you won’t,” Natasha said. It was a question or even a demand. It was a simple statement.

Tony sighed against her neck. “Guess not. But it’s /extremely/ tempting.”

“I know it is,” Natasha acknowledged gently. Tony felt her reach back and settle her hand on the back of his neck. “But the earth is going to need all the help it can get. Anyone who is willing to fight for it, should.” There was a slight strain in her voice. Natasha didn’t like the idea of losing the people they cared about any more than he did. 

They were both silent for a moment, ignoring the bustling people around them. A few strange looks were thrown their from those not used to seeing the Black Widow treat anyone tenderly. 

“You’re leaving soon, aren’t you?” Tony asked eventually. “To start recruiting.”

“In a few hours, at most. There is a woman I know. She’s more enemy than friend, but I believe I should be able to convince her to help.”

“Great,” Tony muttered--unconvincingly. “That’s...great.” He paused before asking, “What are we gonna do about Coulson?”

Almost immediately, Natasha’s entire body went stiff.

“How about we take things one at a time?” she replied with forced casualness. “We’ll recruit, deal with our former friends; and if we have time, you can watch me kick Fury and Coulson’s asses.” 

Tony smiled, pressing a kiss to Natasha’s neck.

“I do love watching you kick ass.”

***  
They decided to relax before Natasha would inevitably have to leave. Tony was still peeved about that. She had been back for less than twelve hours, and now Natasha had to leave again? It sucked. Badly. 

He just hoped she would be back before the rogue Avengers.

Tony settled his head into Natasha’s lap as she lifted the book they had chosen together. It was a hobby they had picked up about seven months ago. Natasha and Tony would pick a book together, and they would take turns reading it to each other until the book was done. At first, Tony had jokingly suggested a variety of spy books. Surprisingly enough, Natasha had even agreed to some of them.

This time, however, it was Natasha’s turn to pick the book. Apparently she had picked up a copy of this particular book on her way home from her mission.

Natasha’s hand fell into Tony’s hair, her fingers gently scratching his scalp as she began to read:

“Upon a paper attached to the Narrative which follows, Doctor Hesselius  
has written a rather elaborate note, which he accompanies with a  
reference to his Essay on the strange subject which the MS. illuminates.

This mysterious subject he treats--”

A knock on their bedroom door interrupted Natasha mid sentence. Tony turned his head in Natasha’s lap to see Loki carefully opening the door.

“Loki,” Natasha greeted, an edge of warmth in her voice. She set the book aside. “Come in.”

“What can we help you with, Reindeer Games?” Tony asked brightly, sitting up with reluctance. 

“Nothing, Anthony,” Loki replied, giving Tony a fond smile. “Rather, I was hoping I could help you.” 

“How so?” Natasha inquired, peering at the god curiously.

Loki pulled out a book that he had previously been hiding behind his back. Tony tilted his head a bit, and grinned when he saw the title: Loki: Nine Naughty Tales of the Trickster.

“I know of your new tradition to read to one another. I also know of Thanos--he is a formidable enemy, and we will need all of our strength if we are to face him. If you would allow, perhaps I could read to you, and help ease your mind before the oncoming battle.”

Natasha and Tony were silent. They exchanged a look. Reading to each other was sort of, well, their thing. But at the same time, Loki was their friend--he was family, even. And he was offering to help them both relax--together--before shit started flying. 

In that one glance, Tony and Natasha came to a decision almost at the same time.

“Sure, Lokes,” Tony piped up, giving the god a bright smile. “Read us a story, Dad.”

Natasha sighed and shook her head, before pulling Tony down on the bed and pressing herself close to him.

Loki used his magic to summon a chair. He opened the book, and began reading.


	4. Recruits, Family, and Freak-outs, Oh My!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The reunion will be in the next part. It will probably be the last part, too.

Loki POV

Loki didn’t like it. He didn’t like the stress his humans were under--because they were undoubtedly /his/ humans, thank you. The beautiful Lady Natasha left after Loki had read them one mere story. She stroked Tony’s hair and kissed his forehead, not seeming to mind that Loki was still present. When she had properly said goodbye to her husband, Lady Natasha approached him and asked if they could speak in private.

“Do you need to leave?” Lady Natasha murmured, ducking her head slightly. “To gather more allies?”

“I have already contacted Thor,” he said in answer. “He we will be here presently.”

Lady Natasha clasped his arm in sympathy, and Loki knew her mind had turned to Ragonorak--to the fall of Asgard. 

“I will not leave Anthony. He will and the others will be safe under my care.”

“Thank you.”

She left after that. In all honestly, Loki would have almost preferred to go with her. At least that way he could ensure she would return to her beloved on time. But Loki’s duty lay with the rest of the Avengers for the moment. He could not leave them with the threat of the rogues’ return hanging over their heads.

But his duty was to the current Avengers--his family. Loki would not abandon that. 

Anthony was obviously nervous--no, rather, a part of him seemed terrified. He baked a cheesecake for the team. Despite their delight at the treat, Loki could see that the team knew why it had come into existence in the first place. They all watched Anthony with caution, prepared to support him should he suffer any kind of breakdown. The youngest of their team were particularly helpful. Gwen, Peter and Riri insisted that Anthony absolutely /must/ show them his newest projects, practically dragging him down his workshop. Loki followed closely after, taking a seat on a couch in the workshop. He sipped wine and idly and read as he kept a subtle eye on his humans.

He wondered if Anthony would allow him to dispel any nightmares before they came into existence. 

***

Natasha POV  
Natasha watched from above as Yelena Belova knocked a would-be thief to the ground. With distaste, she surveyed the woman’s outfit: tight, black leather that was just a bit /too/ tight, with the risk of restricting one’s movements; an exposed midriff--who in their right mind could think having such a vital part of the body exposed was a good idea? Belova, it seemed. 

Stepping off the platform she stood on, Natasha allowed herself to fall, landing directly on top of Belova. Immediately, the blonde woman leapt back into action, falling into a somersault that tossed Natasha off her. Undeterred, Natasha simply rolled backwards, landing on her feet in a crouch. 

Natasha charged forward, jumping so that her legs locked around Belova’s head. Twisting her body around, Natasha maneuvered herself so that she was behind the blond Widow, and twisted her arm.

“You disappointment me,” Natasha said in Russian. “I expected more of a fight from the best Black Widow there ever was.”

“Fuck you,” Belova hissed, struggling against her. Natasha responded by twisting her arm higher.

“I’m going to tell you something now, and you’re going to listen.”

“I don’t want to hear anything you have to--”

Natasha clamped a hand over her mouth.

“Something is coming--an invasion, if you will.” Belova tried to flip Natasha over her shoulder. She responded by sweeping Belova’s feet out from under and flipping her onto her back. Natasha sat on her, pinning Belova’s hands above her head. 

“You will listen,” Natasha ordered her impassively, silently wishing she could gag the other woman. With obvious reluctance, Belova fell silent, glaring. 

“Good.”

***  
Tony POV  
Tony couldn’t stop pacing. He walked to and fro, his footsteps short and quick. Every once in a while, he ran a hand through his hair, causing it to stick out in every possible direction.

He probably looked like a mad scientist. Heh. 

Where was Natasha? Tony thought anxiously, glancing at his watch. Why wasn’t she back yet? He needed her here. There was no way in hell Tony could face /him/ without her here. 

“Anthony,” Loki said from his position by the wall, “do try to calm yourself.”

“No, Loki!” Tony snapped harshly, whipping around to glare at the god. “I will not ‘calm myself.’ Steve fucking Rogers is gonna be here in less than two hours, and I’m not. Fucking. Ready.”

“I understand, Anthony,” Loki said soothingly. He took a step forward, holding out his hands in a comforting manner. “But you must remain in control.” 

Tony slowed to a stop, gripping his hair tightly as he squeezed his eyes shut. “Where the fuck is Natasha?” 

“Lady Natasha will return soon, Anthony,” Loki soothed. Tony felt his hand on his shoulder. “But for now, I would ask you to allow me to help you.”

With a sigh, Tony nodded. 

Almost instantly, Loki’s fingers were gently pressing into Tony’s temples, and he felt a deep sense of calm wash over him. Tony’s shoulders relaxed, his eyes slipping closed as he allowed images to enter his mind:

Natasha, the sun highlighting her blonde hair.

Riri, grinning at him as she explained her latest experiment to Tony.

Peter, flipping through the air as Spiderman.

Loki, playing with his magic, a bored look on his face.

Rhodey, handing him some coffee with an amused smile. 

Image after image filtered into Tony’s head, until he was almost boneless. Pepper, Natasha, Peter, Natasha, Riri, Natasha again, and so on. When Loki pulled his hands away, Tony opened his eyes reluctantly. 

“Thanks,” he mumbled. “I needed that.”

“Anytime, Anthony,” Loki assured him, gripping his arm briefly before pulling away altogether. 

“Boss,” Friday said over the speakers. “Ms. Williams says she requires your assistance in the lab.  
Tony grinned tiredly. “‘Course she does.”

***  
Still Tony’s POV

Natasha arrived at the compound exactly a half hour before the rogue Avengers were supposed to show up. In that time, a crazy, psychotic mercenary who liked to be called Deadpool showed up, claiming “Spidey” had called him. He may or may not have spent the last hour flirting with Peter--Spiderman. Gwen mostly seemed amused by the interaction, although she did stake her claim by giving Peter a passionate kiss.

Tony spent that half hour trying to grasp some measure of confidence, Natasha at his side. The woman she had apparently recruited, Yelena Belova, alternated between shooting them glares and muttering darkly under her breath.

And the, at 2:31 on a Wednesday afternoon, Tony heard the rogue Avenger’s craft land outside the compound. Tony, who had decided to bake a lemon meringue pie, froze instantly. The kids, as Tony called them sometimes, immediately looked up. Rhodey, who had shown up about ten minutes ago, gripped his shoulder tightly.

“You ready for this, Tones?” he asked, looking rightfully concerned. 

“Absolutely not,” Tony sighed, wiping his hands on a towel and staring mournfully at the unfinished desert. He felt Natasha slip her hand under his shirt, pressing it into his back gently.

“Let’s get this over with.”


	5. Reunions and Apologies

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A quick note: I do not, in fact, hate Steve Rogers. However, when it comes to CA:CW, I am very much Team Iron Man, and I can't deny that I like seeing Steve knocked down a few pegs.
> 
> Enjoy!

Tony was understandably tense as they stepped outside to greet their former friends. For the sake of making the oncoming reunion less stressful, the rest of the current Avengers had remained inside--albeit with great reluctance. Natasha had no doubt that their team--their family--was watching them at this very instant. Especially Loki.

The sun was high in the sky, giving the day misleading and cheerful feeling to it. It gave Natasha a clear view of Rogers and his followers. She felt a surge of vicious satisfaction at their disheveled appearance: Steve’s ragged beard, Wanda’s less vibrant hair, Sam’s slightly hunched posture.

The last few years had not been kind to them. Good. Natasha couldn’t help but think they’d had it coming. She would never forget the state Rogers had left Tony in after their fight in Syberia.

( Flashback  
He was so cold. She needed to get the suit off. 

Natasha contacted Fury, before carefully removing the Iron Man armor. Thankfully, it seemed to be functioning enough for her to do so.

That done, Natasha couldn’t stop the shaky breath that escaped. Tony’s lips had turned /blue/ in the last few minutes; he looked as if he had two black eyes. She removed her gloves, placing her hands on Tony’s face in a desperate attempt to offer some warmth.

His breaths were too shallow…

/Where are you, Fury?/)

Present

They all noticed her and Tony as soon as they stepped out outside. Natasha noted with vague disdain how Rogers’ posture--previously tensed and ready to fight--relaxed with surprise. 

Wanda, for her part, simply cast Natasha a quick look before fixing her gaze on Tony with a certain type of desperation.

“Natasha?” Steve asked, taking a confused step forward, his eyes searching her face. If such a thing were possible, Natasha felt Tony go even more tense. Natasha gritted her teeth, taking a moment to compose herself. 

Her husband was absolutely terrified of Steve Rogers. Natasha hated anything that made him feel such fear. 

“Rogers,” Natasha greeted in a cool, measured tone. She watched as Rogers’ eyes darted between her and Tony. His gaze settled on Natasha’s arm--the one partially hidden behind Tony’s back--with a slight frown.

“We looked for you,” Rogers said, an edge of disbelief still in his voice. “When you stopped contacting us, we thought--” Rogers stopped short, eyes widening in horror. Natasha’s free hand flexed with the desire to punch him. 

“Natasha,” Rogers began careful, his gaze occasionally darting to Tony with increasing hostility. Natasha didn’t miss the way he placed himself between Tony and the rogues--particularly the way he stood in front of Barnes, who looked vaguely distressed at the situation. “Were you arrested? Are you being held here against your will?”

“Fuck, Stark,” said Wilson. “Could you sink any lower?”

Natasha would have laughed at the implication--in fact, her lips were already curling into a derisive smile--if it weren’t for Tony beating her to it. He let out a harsh laugh, pressing an arm to his stomach as he doubled over. There was no mirth in that sound. Natasha’s blood boiled with rage. 

“Really, Rogers? That’s your first thought?” Tony choked out, standing up. Natasha relocated her hand to the back of his neck, massaging gently as she looked at him with concern. “That I /kidnapped/ Natasha--the Black Widow.” He grinned. “Tell me, do think anyone could ever successfully do that without having their asses handed to them?”

Almost immediately, Rogers’ face darkened to anger. “That’s enough, Tony. This isn’t the time for games.” Looking back at Natasha, his expression faded to concern once more. “Natasha?”

“Steve,” Wanda piped up quietly, “I do not sense any--”

“Why don’t I prove Natasha’s here of her own will?” Tony practically snarled. He removed Natasha’s hand from his neck, earning him a glare from the assassin. He grinned tiredly, taking several steps away from her. “Go ahead, Nat, do whatever you want.”

Natasha sighed. This was utterly ridiculous. If Tony thought she was simply going to trot over to him like some obedient pet, he had another think coming. She angled her body so that her left hand was clearly visible by the rogues, and stretched very deliberately. Her ring caught in the sunlight.

The ring itself was, in fact, based on Tony’s arc reactor. The band was a simple shade of black, while the main diamond the ring was blue. Around the circumference of the blue diamond was a pattern of white diamonds, with small, black triangle between each one. Natasha remembered being stunned when she first saw, hearing Tony’s unspoken message: /I’m giving you my heart; I trust you./

She hadn’t accepted right away. Instead, Natasha asked him to give her some time to think. She’d known her response would make Tony doubt himself--even worse, it would make him doubt her love for him--but the fact of the matter was, Natasha simply couldn’t accept right away. Not until she trusted herself--forgave herself enough to accept Tony as her husband.

She said yes a week later, after three therapy sessions that Tony was not present for. 

A month after that, Loki officiated their wedding. 

Presently, Natasha lowered her arms down to her sides, and simply crooked a finger. Tony grinned, walking forward and sweeping her into his arms. Natasha could feel the stunned gazes of the rogues. 

Setting Natasha down--who raised an eyebrow at him--Tony turned back to Rogers.

“As you can see, Rogers,” Natasha said coldly, “I am very much here of my own free will.”

Rogers’ eyes darted between them rapidly, a look of utter disbelief on his face. “You and-- Natasha, when you cut off contact with, we thought--” he repeated, only to be cut of by Natasha.

“Rogers, if what you are about to say insults /my husband/ in any way, then I would advise you not to finish that sentence.” Natasha idly twirled lock of red hair around her finger, eyes narrowed. 

There was a brief moment of silence. And then, as Tony would say, everything went to shit.

Every one of the rogues seemed to shout at once, hurling questions and accusations at the pair. Natasha tensed, her feet sliding along the ground as she subtly reached for the knife hidden in a small pocket in her leggings. Out of the corner of her eye, Natasha saw the Iron Man and Iron Widow armors appear. 

Rogers was walking forward, tensed as he look between them. Tony lifted his hand, which was suddenly encased in a gauntlet, prepared to defend the both of them.

And then everything exploded.

Bright, red light ripped across the ground in a large wave that caused nearly everyone to stumble or fall backward. Tony, with help of his now-assembled armor, stayed upright. He must have commanded the Iron Widow to protect Natasha, because she, too, found herself encased in armor. 

“Enough!” Wanda screamed, lowering her arms. Red light still sparked at her fingertips--the same light that seemed to be making her eyes glow. She whipped around, glaring at everyone in turn. Except, Natasha noted, herself and Tony.

“Are none of you aware of the danger we are about to face?” She turned Steve, every muscle tense. “What happened to /working together/, Steve?”

“Wanda--” Steve began.

“No!” Wanda held out a hand in warning. “This is not the team that my brother came to approve of. This is the thing we /hated/.” Wanda breathed heavily for moment, before stating, “Thanos. Is. Coming. And the only way we can hope to stop him is by working together. Like the team you were /supposed/ to be.” She raised her hands in a threatening manner. “Anyone who jeopardizes will have /me/ to answer to.”

Silence again. Wanda turned toward Tony and Natasha, and began to walk toward them. After a moment’s consideration, Natasha stepped out of her armor. Tony followed suit, albeit warily.

“Stark,” Wanda addressed when she was standing in front of Tony. She paused for a moment, seeming to reconsider. “/Mr./ Stark. I have been...foolish--blamed you for things that were not wholly you fault.” She bowed her head, hands clasped in front of her. “What I did to you--my part in Ultron--is unforgivable. I understand that. I do not expect your forgiveness, but even still, I offer you my apology.”

Natasha tilted her head, considering. She saw Tony give Wanda an incredulous look. 

“I don’t forgive you,” Tony said eventually. Wanda visibly deflated. “At least, not yet. Do you how many therapy sessions it took Nat and I to get to this point?”

“Thirty-seven before you would even considering asking me to be your wife,” Natasha said blandly. 

“Exactly,” Tony agreed. “I don’t forgive you. Any of you. But we still have to work together.” He offered his hand to Wanda, who shook it, looking confused. “Truce?”

Wanda’s face smoothed. “Of course. Truce.”

The stricken look on Steve’s face pleased Natasha. Clearly, he still thought of himself as the leader.

“You may come out now,” Natasha called over her shoulder, never taking here eyes off the rogues. 

As the New Avengers started to filter outside, and outraged shouts rang through the air, Tony pulled Natasha closer.

“Avengers,” he said grimly.

“Assemble,” Natasha finished.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I think this is going to be the end of my story. Thank you for everyone who followed it this far.
> 
> Reviews? I hope I did the Tony/Wanda sort-of friendship well enough.

**Author's Note:**

> Yes, Tony and Natasha and married. She simply chose to keep her last name instead of changing it.


End file.
